FLY Small Circle of Friends
by keroberus
Summary: The notorious trio is at it again. Unfortunately for Fuu the wheel of fortune goes round and round. By prior edict of the Shogun, reputations are at stake if she doesn't die. Will her friends save her in time, or will they all just go out with a bang?
1. Wheel of Fortune

**Chapter One: Wheel of Fortune**

The young woman headed toward the market as fast as her feet would carry her. She was a slight, but hardy looking girl and therefore all who chanced to look up at the moment she passed may have seen a pink blur racing past; by all accounts, at record speed. Some even thought about timing her for fun. Before they could try to distinguish her face as the sound of her wooden Geta sandals approached, a gust of wind picked up and blew dust in their eye, and as their vision was impaired all they heard were the sandals clacking away down the main avenue.

"Why the haste?" some would ask as the running girl came to near misses with people's baskets, shoulders or children. Those who lived in town were familiar with this daily routine in the market. Some of the locals came by especially to catch a glimpse of the girl who ran like the wind. She was a recent transplant a few years ago to their town. Most knew her as a friendly, but not necessarily loquacious girl who was comfortable with strangers but slow to divulge how and why a girl of her age would land in this particular town unaccompanied and without much purpose except to work and eat. The girl worked for the strict mistress of the local inn in their seaport town, just north of Nagasaki. If she didn't collect supplies for the evening meal in time for the guests to be satisfied by sunset, there would be no dinner for her. As most observers guessed, dinner was very important to this young lady. Every day before sunset, they would watch the girl display her Herculean strength uncommon in a girl of her frame as she carried bags of grain, buckets of fish and baskets of vegetables and seasonings in her arms, on her shoulders and on her head as she hurried back to the inn.

"You'll wear yourself out like that, Fuu-chan," called out the old woman of the apothecary shop. As Fuu streamed by, the old woman, threw out a large, juicy prune from her basket. On cue, Fuu caught the prune in her mouth and chewed on it as she made her way back to the Hinode Inn. She ignored the sputtered laughter and tried not to blush when the old apothecary told her that her need to hurry contributed to her constipation, which was what the prunes were supposed to cure.

Fuu nearly fell over with embarrassment. Just as she was about to continue her dash at full speed a croaky old voice called out to her. Fuu stopped and looked around to locate the origin of the voice. An ugly painted face of an old woman in wide-rimmed straw hat, strangely familiar, came forth from the shadows.

"_Vase…lady_?" said Fuu, recalling that somewhere near Edo on an earlier adventure, this old hag had told her fortune and warned her to stay away from vases that day. That was probably one of the most unlucky days of her life. In fact, that entire journey when she was fifteen was riddled with unlucky days. Fuu learned the hard way to pay attention to fortunes from then on.

"The wheel of fortune comes full circle," said the hag cryptically.

"Sorry?" asked Fuu, wondering if some clarification was to follow. But, since Fuu had no money to pay her to elaborate, the old woman returned to the shadows without another word, turned the corner and disappeared.

"Okaaay…." said Fuu, cocking her head to one side at the weird encounter. She shrugged and continued on her way. And just like that, the girl who was named after the wind, disappeared from the marketplace as quickly as she came.

"Geez, I wish the apothecary wouldn't be so open about my problems, Momo," said Fuu to her pet, a small brown flying squirrel that followed her everywhere. Unknown to most, Momo hid inside the folds of Fuu's pink kimono, ready to strike any hand that ventured near Fuu's "peaches." Momo had followed Fuu because nuts were hard to come by in the winter, and Momo was tired of such tedious things such as hibernation and procreation that her ilk were inclined to do each year, in an endless cycle until they died or were killed. The two had been inseparable since Fuu left her hometown and never looked back.

"My constipation isn't that bad," she muttered as she hauled in the last of the sacks of grain onto the wooden rack for the cooks. Suddenly, her stomach grumbled and went numb. Her elbow accidentally knocked over a basket and a daikon radish rolled out in a semi-circle onto the floor of the hallway.

"I'm so hungry," she complained to no one. After her mad dash back to the inn, Fuu hardly had the energy to pick up the radish and so she resolved to stare at it, willing it to go back in place. _Should I eat it?_ she thought to herself. Before she could contemplate the possibility, she heard footsteps coming down the servant's stairs.

"Your food's in the back, Fuu," said a nasally voice behind her. The proprietor, Miss Suzuka, who was nearly forty but insisted on being called "miss," tapped her wooden fan against the wall as she surveyed the goods.

"Hmph. I see that you haven't forgotten the spices this time. At least you're capable of using whatever you have for a brain." Fuu held her tongue.

"Hurry up then, before I find something else for you to do before bed," said Miss Suzuka.

Fuu left without a word and headed towards the smell of steamed rice and sautéed fish cakes. In fact, she prided herself in her ability to ignore her employer's snide remarks and unkind attitude as part of her daily routine. A younger Fuu, the one who was forced into the labor market out of necessity after living a life of secluded leisure as the daughter of a samurai, would have given a pointed retort—and probably would have gotten sacked thereafter. Long gone were the days of fireworks in the summer and steaming red bean cakes in the winter at her mother's side. Time and hunger taught Fuu that pride can be set aside for food. In fact, Fuu was quite a connoisseur of Japanese cuisine. From Kyushu's shabu-shabu to Hokkaido's ramen, Fuu had made it a point in her young life to travel and taste all the food of Japan before she died. Such was the grand scheme in the simple heart of Fuu Kasumi.

After she gobbled down her food, an unseemly habit that was no match for a fierce metabolism that maintained her slim figure, she made sure to hide herself in some corner of the Inn to remain unnoticed. Last time she was caught doing nothing, one of the head servants gave her chamber pot duty. Fuu nearly lost her dinner after she had eaten it, which, in her mind, would have been the real tragedy.

Just as she turned the corner to her usual hiding spot in one of the unused balconies that overlooked the ocean in the distance, she ran into one of the servers.

"Fuu, what are you doing here? Miss Suzuku will scold you if she found you wandering near the guest quarters."

"I was just on my way to find a quiet spot to digest in peace," replied Fuu as she started to move away. The servant caught her sleeve in his hand.

"Hold on a sec, Fuu. We may have a use for you. There are prominent guests here tonight and we can't afford to make any mistakes or we'll be skinned alive by the proprietor. Can you help us with something important?"

"What's more important than my digestion?" sulked Fuu.

"I _know_ how you value your digestion, Fuu. Remember when I gave you my meat bun when Miss Suzuku sent you to bed without supper for being late? I think it's safe to say you owe me one."

She sighed. "I always repay my debts. What can I help you with?"

"One of the serving maids twisted her ankle. Unfortunately, someone left a daikon radish in the middle of the walkway to the kitchen. One of the cooks tripped over it, and he fell over taking several people with him, and so we're short on help right now."

"What? I can't serve people, I mean look at me," said Fuu pointing to the cracks and calluses on her fingers as well as her windblown hair and dirty toes.

"A pair of tabi socks, a fresh frock with long sleeves and make up will do. We even have an extra wig," said the serving girl Rin from behind, summing up Fuu with a quick glance from head to toe. "The mistress won't even recognize you."

"I'm dead if I'm caught," sighed Fuu.

"The serving maid's dead if the proprietor finds out she can't work on our busiest night of the week," sighed Rin.

"Because I'm a nice person and the world would be a dark place without duty," said Fuu resignedly. "I'll do it."

With that, she was led away by Rin to the servant's changing quarters. Fuu was a lower servant, one who worked behind the scenes since Miss Suzuku found her unfit to present to her customers for being "totally without charm." The actual serving maids dressed up in dark purple kimonos with elegant blue obis and wore a similar wig adorned with a simple brass comb that adorned the Inn's emblem of sun and crane. The servers were very good looking, and their beauty traditionally amplified with powder and rouge to make their skin look almost porcelain white save for the pink glow of their cheeks and lips. Hinode was well reputed for its established image. If Fuu did anything to taint that image, reminded Rin, Miss Suzuku would be unforgiving.

Fortunately, Fuu would not be serving the important guests in the main hall. She was sent to wait upon the lesser rooms of the ordinary guests. Her duties for the night would be mainly waiting outside in the lower hall with the other first level servants until someone called to either bring more food or more sake.

Just as Fuu and Rin got into position in the hall, two guests, one on each side of the hall called for assistance. Fuu stood there for a moment, wondering which door she should take.

"The one on the left is really troublesome tonight," sighed Rin. "He's been asking for sake nonstop and he looks the type to skip out on a bill. If not for the woman he's with, I wonder how'd he ever get into an inn like ours. I wonder how she deals with his wandering hands. I'll take the one on the right."

"You'd force a customer like that on a newbie? You're crueler than I thought. Let's flip for it," said Fuu. She pulled out a coin from her pocket and tossed it towards Rin. Before it landed, she called out, "I get my pick if it's heads." Rin caught the coin, and just as she did, Fuu was already kneeling down and opening the sliding door on the right.

"Cheater!" whispered Rin as she grudgingly shoved the coin in her pocket and made for the door on the left.

As was instructed, used her most polite speech to greet the customer and ask how she could be of assistance. As she looked up Fuu nearly fell over with shock when she saw the man in the room. Though his wire-rimmed glasses had gone missing since that last swordfight with Kariya Kagetoki, the man who killed her father by order of the government, his sleek black hair knotted in one long tail and solemn pale face were unmistakable. In the few years they had not seen each other, he had not changed, though his clothes did seem a little more traveled. In that moment, Fuu could not express the myriad of feelings that rushed to her all at once, which she later recounted as being part happiness and delight, and also part disappointment. The happiness came with seeing a friend who seemed bound to her in destiny, and the disappointment came not because she missed the face of her other friend who traveled with them in that small time frame of her life when she was fifteen, but in seeing Jin with a lovely woman she only knew as "Kohana," who had been a prostitute in Edo. Fuu averted her eyes quickly, fearing recognition and feeling somehow embarrassed to be in the same room with the two supposed lovers.

"More sake, please," said Jin.

"At once," answered Fuu politely. She got up to retrieve the empty sake bottle on the lady's side of the table. She stopped short when she realized the woman was staring intently at her.

"It _is_ you," smiled the woman in an epiphany as she caught Fuu's hand, recognizing the young face behind the make up upon closer examination.

Before Jin had a chance to take a better look there was a sudden commotion from the hall. Fuu spun around just in time to see someone being thrown through the doorway of the opposite room, past Rin as she shrieked, across the narrow hallway and heading straight for her—much to Fuu's horror. In that split second she realized it was too late to duck and so Fuu closed her eyes tightly and braced for impact. Suddenly, she was pushed aside with great force and she rolled sideways several times over the tatami floor until she found herself lying on top of Jin.

"Fuu?" he said finally, recognizing her face through her make-up. Fuu's deep blush was covered by the powder. Was that the first time he had ever called her by name? Her attention was then taken away by the mess in the room. She turned to see the man amid the mess that was once the black lacquered table, now broken in half, and the cracked serving ware to see a drunk but familiar face brushing the food off of his clothes.

"Damnit Mugen, can't you at least stop groping women when I'm talking to you??" demanded the voice of an angry female from the other room. Imanho Yatsuha, detective and undercover agent for what constituted the police force in the outskirts of Edo near the Hakone Checkpoint, cracked her knuckles, ready to give her drinking partner another beating. Clearly, they were both dangerously drunk.

This somehow seemed the most fitting end to the evening on Fuu's first and probably only night as a server and possibly her employment at the Inn. She couldn't avoid Miss Suzuku's attention now. The servant who convinced her to serve tonight ran to their aid, but put a hand to his forehead as he saw the unpredicted outcome. Surely, Miss Suzuka would have their hides. Fuu rolled off of Jin, took one of the sake cups that had scattered in her direction and threw it at Mugen. It bounced painfully off his head and he turned around.

"Can't you drink sake in peace? Are you trying to get me fired?!"

He squinted at her and an expression of recognition came to his face. "You--?"

The words of the old hag rang true in that moment as Fuu sighed. She imagined an immense wheel rolling on top of her to crush her.

* * *

Author's Note: I found myself searching my shelves for something entertaining. I came across my DVDs for Samurai Champloo and after watching, realized how much I really liked this series. The Baseball Blues episode seemed strangely out of place and I was convinced the episode with the mushrooms was a hallucinogenic dream of Fuu's, but overall I really liked it. When they parted in the last episode, swords broken and going three different directions I think the creators meant to say that they were not going to meet again and they would all three lead peaceful lives but their friendship would hold them together forever. Being a JinxFuu fan, naturally I found it hard to leave it at that!

So here's a story written in the week before I return to reality, because I think Jin was really hot in that last fight with Kariya. (Mugen was also cool, so he can be in this story too.)

-Kero (7/27/08)


	2. The Stone That Skims The Water

**Chapter Two: The Stone That Skims The Water**

Fuu grimaced a little as Miss Suzuku paced up and down the formation of servants in the lower hallway tapping her wooden fan against her hand. The expression on their proprietor's face was livid. None of the servants dared speak out first in their own defense of either not having anything to do with it, or of being unable to foresee such an event and thereby being not at fault. In the background, laborers were hastily trying to repair the sliding door and paper screens so unceremoniously destroyed by Mugen's airborne body. Mugen and his fellow guest were discreetly escorted out of the Inn after paying their bill plus a little extra for the damage.

"Do we run a brothel?" asked Miss Suzuku through clenched teeth. She stopped in front of Fuu, who looked her directly in the eye. Miss Suzuku turned to Rin and demanded answer.

"DO WE??"

"No Miss," replied Rin quietly, unable to meet that heated gaze and resignedly staring at her own feet.

"Then tell me why," began their proprietor, taking her fan and lifting Fuu's chin with it as if to get a better look at her made up appearance, "we can take any untrained common girl from the streets to serve our customers? What kind of reputation are we trying to make here?" The comparison between Fuu's involvement in this debacle and a common brothel did not go unnoticed by Fuu, who clenched her fists quietly, nor Jin, who had just opened the sliding door to step out into the hall. Fuu's eyes met his and she could tell he was not pleased with the proprietor for insulting his friend, but her expression implored him not to make a fuss about it.

"Only brothels have this sort of ruckus going on in the night," sighed Miss Suzuku, taking her fan and pointing it to the servant who started it all.

"You are in charge of the lower servants of this floor tonight. WHY are we so shorthanded that we need the lower servants to help?" she demanded.

"One of our serving girls sprained her foot. One of the cooks slipped in the hall on a daikon, and injured others in the process. The other lower servants are helping in the kitchen and Fuu is the only one good looking enough to help us here," he responded quietly. The proprietor snarled at Fuu, "Good looking? Don't make me laugh."

"WHO left the radish in the hall?!" She glared at Fuu once more. By her tone, Fuu was clear that she was about to be handed her final pay even without having to answer. She was a little disappointed, not because she would miss anyone here, but because this job was good enough to provide room and board with an ocean view.

It also held sentimental value, since it was so close to the little landmass off shore that was Ikisuki-shima, the place where her father had died. Fuu did not miss her father, but the sentimentality came from her own coming-of-age story where she traveled nearly all of Nippon in the span of almost a year with two of the most powerful ronin in the country as her bodyguards in search of him. If she ever retold the story to others, they would be amazed that all she paid them was European sponge cake in the end.

Though she didn't get to beat her father as she had intended to for leaving his family behind to follow a foreign religion, at that point she realized that her journey was ended and she was supposed to live her own life, and let go of the past. But she came back to Nagasaki even at the end of the other journeys she had taken alone because this was the place where she began a life for herself, taking with her the memory of a fond farewell with two very good friends who supported her up to that point.

Without a word, Fuu took off the wig and handed it to Rin, still holding Miss Suzku's gaze. A smile touched the corner of her lips as she told a suddenly surprised proprietor with much gumption that she'd be waiting at the front door for Miss Suzuku to calculate her last pay. Fuu nodded a silent goodbye to her comrades and left the hallway.

Back outside under the starry night sky Fuu looked up to the twinkling heavens to contemplate what she would do next as she held a small satchel containing her final pay in her hand. With a knapsack over her shoulder containing her only worldly possessions of a diary noting all the delicious foods she had eaten in her travels, nuts for Momo, a hairpin that belonged to her mother, dried sunflower seeds from Ikisuki-shima, her money she had saved these past few years and some flint for campfires she took one step forward towards and uncertain future. She wondered if she would run into the fortuneteller who might be kind enough to give her another hint.

Back inside, Jin headed back to the room where Shino was still waiting for him when he saw men with katanas walking towards him and the exit. He stepped aside into the shadows unnoticed. Judging by the distinguishing marks on their clothing, they were high ranking samurai who worked for the Shogun. Though Jin had no quarrel with them, and they probably wouldn't recognize him, he had no intention of sharing the same hallway space with them.

"Ah, what a good meal," said one of the samurai, patting his belly contentedly. Another was shifting the position of his katana and wakizashi to make more room for his bloated stomach.

"Keiichi, do you think we can stop by the red light district, or does Councilor Goroujuu want us to start work immediately?" asked a third samurai, trailing behind.

"Gods Soujirou, is that the only thing you can think about? We're still missing our fourth member. Sei, did you see where he went?" asked Keiichi.

"The outhouse?" suggested Sei.

"Whatever. We'll wait for him outside. I can't believe Councilor Goroujuu wants us to hunt down a little girl," sighed Soujirou as he picked his teeth.

"She's not just any girl, she's the daughter of an outlaw who by order of the Shogunate was to have his entire family killed with him. Since the wife is already dead, that leaves only the daughter," explained Keiichi.

"Isn't this just a waste of time?" asked Soujirou.

"It's a matter of saving face for the Councilor. If he can't take care of one girl, how do you think the Shogun will see him? It's been three years since Kariya failed and all traces of the girl and her two ronin side-kicks were lost," sighed Sei. "We have a long road ahead of us."

"That's what he's paying us for," shrugged Soujirou.

"If the Divine Hand couldn't finish them off, what chances do we have?" said Kei. "I'd rather chase foreigners than an elusive little girl. It's easier since gaijin stand out so much and more fun."

"Well isn't that the catch then?" asked Soujirou. "She and her companions probably split up after that so now we're looking for a little girl who carries a flying rat in her bosom, who may or may not still be in Kyushu, who is known to wander around a lot."

"I wonder if I did something to offend the Councilor…" said Keiichi thinking of the long stretch of time that loomed before him in connection to what was possibly a wild goose chase.

"Well, at least we have _him_," said Kei, referring to their missing counterpart. "He's known to be just as good as Kariya, though a little old, and twice as clever so they say. He may be the one to sink this stone that skims the water."

"He's too old for me to ever have seen him in action," sighed Soujirou. "Doesn't the fact that he's taking this long to take a dump suggest he's just an old dotard?"

"Maybe it's constipation?" suggested Kei as the three turned the corner and exited the building.

Jin remained where he stood for a moment, contemplating his next move. That Fuu needed to be warned was clear, but what he was going to do afterwards was not. He returned to the room with an odd expression on his face.

"What's wrong, Jin?" asked Shino.

"I've heard some news that I think I should share with my friends," he replied thoughtfully. Shino knew, as Jin had told her once, that he had only two friends in the world. These two had traveled with him on some quest that he would not elaborate further upon, and who despite their brief acquaintance, were dear to him. Shino also had a brief acquaintance with Fuu and Mugen when she was running from her husband with Jin's help. They paid his way to see her at the brothel, came to help Jin when they knew he was unarmed and in trouble, and did so without Jin's asking or elaboration on what he was doing. Such was the meaning behind true friendship, Shino mused, something she had never experienced in her life. Jin was fortunate in this respect, and she knew that he was about to leave, this time without any promises between them.

"You should help your friends if they are in trouble," she said quietly.

"But—" he began.

"I'm free of my husband now, thanks to you, so I can start anew. Though I would love your companionship, I don't need your protection," Shino replied. He paused for a moment, contemplating her face. This was the face of the woman he had once thought of throwing away everything for and watching over forever. Gentle, loyal and kind, Shino was the pinnacle of what he used to think of as an ideal woman. Despite the fact that she was only two years his senior, her maturity seemed limitless. That was of course before he nearly confessed to that lively girl five years his junior and bound to him by friendship, whose face without his conscious knowledge slowly slipped into place as his new ideal.

He got up to retrieve his sword and wakizashi and before leaving, he looked back once more. "What will you do?" he asked.

Shino smiled impishly. "I think a position at this Inn may have just opened."

After a warm embrace and polite well wishes for Shino, Jin exited the inn followed by the polite "thank you" and "please come again" of the door greeters of the front entrance. He blinked to adjust his eyes to the dark street. There in front of him was the familiar figure in a pink kimono walking away from the inn.

"Fuu," he called out. She turned around and an expression of shock came to her face.

"What are you following me for?" she asked.

"I'm not following you. I need to tell you something," he caught up with her and they started walking away together. "You're being hunted by the Shogunate."

"What?" she asked incredulously, nearly tripping. Fuu thought back to her three peaceful years traveling alone and no one with a sword had ever approached her.

"I heard men talking at the Inn. Someone knows you're still alive and one particular Councilor is still interested in hunting you down," he said matter-of-factly. That he could take and reiterate this information so calmly rattled her.

"So what am I supposed to do about it?" asked Fuu, scratching her head in frustration. "I'm unemployed right now and my traveling money is limited. I can't just run forever."

"We'll protect you," he responded simply.

"Who's 'we'?" she asked. He nodded his head indicating to his right. Fuu heard a groan and looked over to see a huddle mass on the side of the avenue. It appeared to be a man. She went over and kicked him. Mugen rolled over on his back, still groaning, with drool running down one side of his mouth and snoring.

"Isn't this how he ended up last time he met up with Miss Yatsuha?" said Fuu slightly exasperated, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers, and feeling the onset of a headache. Jin just looked at the passed out Mugen thoughtfully.

"Well," sighed Fuu. "I guess we can't just leave him here." Jin nodded and went in search of a wheelbarrow. Momo took the opportunity to peek out from Fuu's bosom and crawled up to perch on her shoulder to look around for the source of the offending stench of liquor.

"Here we go again, Momo-san."

* * *

Author's note: After my Sam-Puru Marathon I concluded that these three really need another adventure. I wonder how many die-hard Champloo fans are still out there? The reception to this story may be limited, and not everyone may recall all the people I'm resurrecting, but I really wanted some old characters like Yatsuha and Shino to come back to resolve their attachment to Mugen and Jin. I want to bring back my favorite characters from the series, so stay tuned!

P.s. Don't ask about my fascination with constipation.

-Kero (7/27/08)


	3. Vagrancy

**Chapter 3: Vagrancy**

"Hah?" asked Mugen biting into one of the fish they had caught and cooked as he tried to chew and speak at the same time. A spray of food and saliva came forth. The glow of the campfire felt somewhat nostalgic to them all, camping in the outskirts of Nagasaki. Jin took a stick and flipped another fish on the spit. As he had no talent for fishing, he offered to cook their meal. Fuu, having taken off her sandals to warm her feet by the fire stared up at the sky, lost in thought.  
The three felt at ease on this mild spring day. A comfortable breeze roaming through the trees blew away the day's humidity leaving only the ease of a dry evening.

"Speak or eat. Choose one," said Jin.

Mugen hastily swallowed his food. "But why would they be after a girl who had nothing to do with her rebel father ten years after the fact? It doesn't seem worth the trouble."

"It's a matter of pride, I suppose, for the Councilor who couldn't carry out the task the Shogun had asked of him," answered Jin, maintaining his stony composure.

"Will I never be rid of my father?" asked Fuu quietly, not really expecting an answer. Here eyes continued to scan the heavens for some sign of what was to come. Her two companions glanced at her sympathetically, and then at each other.

"We could kill this councilor who is trying to carry out the warrant on your head," suggested Mugen, reaching for another fish.

"That would mean first killing the four samurai who were hired to track you," said Jin quietly contemplating the possibilities.

"All this talk of killing," sighed Fuu. "I thought we were over this stuff after Kariya and those brothers from the Shogunate." She took stock of the situation and looked at her two companions.

"We could split up to be less conspicuous," she suggested. "I mean, I've hid from them these three years without incident, right?"

"I'm not sure they were actively looking for you," replied Jin. "But for whatever reason, this Councilor has taken a new interest in finding you. Can you live comfortably knowing that they're out there right now looking for you? Can you be certain they won't find you? That route seems a little precarious."

"You wouldn't be able to fend them off, that's for sure," sighed Mugen, finishing off the rest of his share and leaning back to laid on the floor as he chewed absently at the fish bone sticking out of his mouth, hands laced behind his head for support against the soft grass that was to be his bed for the evening.

"I thought your swords were broken?" asked Fuu, putting her chin on her knees and tucking in her legs.

"I found a new one just like my old one," said Mugen. "Can't fight for food with gangsters without a sword."

"I had mind re-forged," said Jin. "It is inconvenient for a samurai to go unarmed when defense is necessary."

Fuu sighed again. "Don't you two have anything better to do?" She thought of Yatsuha and Kohana. "People to see?"

"Probably, but I'm too tired to think of it right now," was Mugen's lazy response.

"No," said Jin simply. Fuu looked up at Jin only to find him starting back intently at her.

"I don't want you two to get hurt again because of me," she said, almost in a whisper, averting her eyes. The last time Mugen defended her, he tossed his sword aside in exchange for her freedom and was severely injured. Jin had prepared to offer up his life to protect her against Kariya and nearly died. The sudden image of Jin taking one last stand with Kariya for her made Fuu clench her fists. She hadn't realized how cool her friends were until that day. Fuu didn't think of how lucky she was to have their friendship until then. She looked up at Jin again, who had already looked away.

When she last parted with these two she had resolved to start a life on her own, knowing she was blessed with such friends who supported her up to that point. She didn't expect to see Mugen again, as he was as free as a wild monkey, bound to happily wreak havoc wherever he went. Nor did she expect to see Jin again, though she later often wondered what would have happened had she accepted his offer to go with him. From time to time she would think about their conversation by the river that one night when Jin had asked her what her plans were after she met her father. As she grew older, and perhaps a little more mature, these thoughts were also tinged with regret. She had never thought of Jin, or Mugen for that matter, in a seriously romantic way. It wasn't until she found herself working or eating alone, or sleeping alone at night that Jin's figure appeared before her, with his doufuku slashed in half revealing a bare and wounded torso, sans glasses, hair unbound and trailing in the wind. She would not forget the look in his eyes of sheer determination and force of will with saving her his only goal in that moment. As he told Kariya before they fought one last time, he no longer fought for himself and would fight for something worth protecting.

Something awoke in her in that moment that could not be quelled in the three years they spent apart.

A younger Fuu fancied herself in love with the wild and carefree Mugen, as he was easy to get along with and open in his feelings through his actions. An older Fuu was unable to stop her glances at Jin, or quell the anxiousness in her heart when she thought of that woman who as with him at the inn. She finally shook her feelings off with a quick exhale of breath. She would only live in the moment, she decided, and at the moment, the fire needed tending.

"I'm gonna get more firewood. We can talk about this more in the morning. For now, let's just head towards Nagasaki. Until we have a solid plan, I don't want them catching up with us so I think we should keep moving," she said finally.

"Whatever," said Mugen, eyes closed and already n the verge of falling asleep. Jin was silent.

Fuu headed into the forest towards a stream they had passed earlier. She started to gather the dead branches along one bank silently. How was she supposed to run from the Shogunate? Fuu had two undefeated ronin by her side, but didn't the government have hundreds, if not thousands of samurai sworn to serve it? If only she had not decided to go find her father. If only she had sworn off revenge for her mother who died so miserably of a broken heart and tuberculosis. If only she had a different father who valued duty over idealism. If only…

Before she knew it, she had an armful of firewood overflowing. There was enough for two campfires. Without any conscious effort she cursed her father under her breath. She still had no idea what Christianity was or what its foreign god preached, but surely there was something in its tenets that did not condone his actions. She cursed him again.

"Damn you," she said a third time, louder.

Fuu recalled the day her mother died. The previous night she and Fuu had spoken of the coming spring and what they were going to eat at the next festival. Her mother had suddenly had such a wakeful, lucid day just prior to her death that Fuu had thought she was on the mend. When her mother did not wake up the prior morning, she told her neighbor, who then sent for the doctor immediately. Fuu was sent to play outside with the neighborhood children and when she returned, her mother was dead. Her still form looked as though her mother was still sleeping but for the ominous white cloth the doctor had placed over her face. This was Fuu's first encounter with death and she suffered more shock than grief. She was almost fourteen at the time, and the neighbors took her in until she could find some decent employment for her livelihood. Through some distant relative, Fuu found work at tea house away from her hometown and she never returned.

So much for being a samurai's daughter. Her class status did not prepare her for the odd jobs she had to do while her mother was still alive just to give them some extra pocket change, nor did it ready her for the actual labor market. After standing for hours day after day, burning her fingers countless times, waiting upon the rich and the poor alike, she was still only a sub par waitress making enough to cover her extra expenses. Being an orphan was lonely work.

As the breeze picked up, Fuu lost herself further in her own thoughts and in the reflection of the stream she imagined the modest koi pond in their back yard and the plum tree on whose branches she used to swing.

"I wonder if the house is still standing…?" she asked the night. Momo came out of hiding and perched on Fuu's shoulder. Both of them looked to the eternal sky. As Momo sniffed the evening breeze Fuu wondered if there was any deeper meaning to her life, however long or short it would be from here on.

"Fuu?" asked Jin gently from behind her. The sudden intrusion of another person into her quiet reverie made her start and drop all the dry wood she still clung to.

"Ah!" she exclaimed in bewilderment as her work lay at her feet.

"Geez, Jin, don't sneak up on people like that," she smiled ruefully as he came closer to assist.

"I walked as loudly as I could," he said honestly. Her smile broadened and she laughed a little. Jin was never intentionally funny, but when he said things like that Fuu found it refreshing.

"You were taking so long, I thought I'd check on you," said Jin quietly. "Are you all right?" He looked at her with a slightly worried expression on a usually expressionless visage.

"Was it that obvious?" she asked. He said nothing and helped her pick up the rest of the firewood. Fuu realized this was probably the longest conversation they had ever had.

"I was thinking about my house and the day my mother died. I hadn't thought of her much these three years, but recent developments in my life seem to have filtered these memories up to the surface." Fuu got up and gave the rest of the firewood to Jin, since he was there. "I had almost forgotten her face."

"I don't recall the faces of either of my parents," said Jin. Fuu looked at him sympathetically. Birds of a feather really did flock together as these three orphans were proof. Perhaps they needed the moral support derived from such a friendship.

"Were you ever lonely, Jin?" she asked softly.

"I didn't realize that I had been until I started traveling with you two," he replied.

"What an odd little group we make," she mused. "Are you sure that you and Mugen should come with me? It may be the last thing you do."

"The world would be a dark place without duty," quoted Jin. The expression on his face was quite endearing.

Before Fuu could stop herself, she asked, "But what about that woman? I don't know her real name but I think they called her 'Kohana.' Won't she miss you? I mean, won't you miss her? You did make a lot of effort last time to free her from that place." Her heart started picking up its pace and her mind was lamenting the fact that she had brought the topic up. Since he was quiet, Fuu looked up and studied his expression. It had softened a little, but otherwise did not give away any indication of pleasure or pain.

"Did you love her?" she asked in a trepid voice. _What was this insistence on having to know?_ her mind admonished. He looked up at her thoughtfully as if asking the same question. Before either one could explain themselves further the sound of a cracking twig instantaneously sent Jin's hand to his blade. Fuu caught the glint of steel against the moonlight as he prepared to draw forth his weapon.

She turned to see a shifting shadow, or what she thought was a shifting shadow to her left. Had they already caught up with her? Fuu held her breath as Jin positioned himself in front of her. Suddenly in the direction of their camp, they heard the clashing of swords and Mugen cursing. Jin's opponent came forth from the forest without further adieu.

An older samurai, whom Jin met only once and at the time wasn't sure he was able to defeat, stepped out of the forest. Inuyaka drew his blade as he smiled politely.

"I told you we'd meet again," he said simply.

"Jin, do you know him?" whispered Fuu.

"We met when you were kidnapped by the ogre," he answered. "Move away from here, Fuu." She was a little surprised that Jin wanted her to run. Was he unable to defeat this old man? Fuu looked again at her assailant who was moving ever closer. There was meekness in his expression but she was shocked to find the razor sharp look in his eyes. He was a professional assassin and the realization came to her that he had been killing people since a very young age, if not since birth. She was afraid.

"You should listen to him, _musume-san,_" said the old man politely. "We will be needing a bit of space."

Fuu didn't want to leave. It came to her that she should say something like, "Don't fight him, Jin," because she didn't want Jin to walk that thin line between life and death again, at least not for her. The conflict came from her not wanting to die, either. Yet she did not want to run. She wanted to have faith that her friends would somehow come through for her. It made her hesitate.

"Fuu!" said Jin, more firmly this time. She snapped back to the present situation and turned to run. Fuu took one glace back before she stumbled forth into the darkness. Momo immediately flew out and scurried and leapt through the branches above.

"Tell me which way to go, Momo," panted Fuu as they continued. In the distance she heard Jin's blade meet his opponents with a sharp, distinctive "clink."

After their swords met, both Jin and Inuyaka seemed to be assessing their opponent's strength. The key was to figure a weakness before the other did. With great force the two came together again. Jin's moves were lightning quick, slashing and blocking as his opponent returned the favor. After ten sword strokes Jin assessed that they were almost evenly matched, but for the fact that Inuyaka had more years than Jin to perfect his craft. Inuyaka charged again very suddenly, and Jin marveled that the old man had such stamina. Jin dodged the attack but the blade still came in contact with his sleeve, by the fraction of a hair. He was surprised.

"Divine Hand Kariya was a friend of mine. We used to go flower gazing together," said Inuyaka. "It's a pity I won't be able to do that with him any longer. But I am surprised that you defeated him at your level. How did you do it?" he asked. Jin did not respond. As his master once told him, a clever samurai who is outmatched will use his surroundings to his advantage. Jin made a dash into the forest where the trees grew thick and the lighting was shallow. A smile came to Inuyaka's lips as he readily followed.

With the denseness of the forest, Jin used the trees as shields while Inuyaka slashed. This gave Jin the opportunity to attack simultaneously as he was blocked. Still, Inuyaka dodged. The disadvantage was that Jin could not get a clear slice, as he had further to move with a tree to his back. He was contemplating his next strategy but stopped short when he heard a scream deep in the forest.

"It seems my counterparts actually listened to my plan. I actually thought they were a little too drunk to understand it," said Inuyaka calmly. "All I have to do now is make sure she's dead and I can collect my pay." He sheathed his katana and ran towards the direction of Fuu's voice. Jin also sheathed his katana and raced after him. Mugen suddenly jumped out of the shrubbery and ran alongside him.

"Where's Fuu and her flying rat?" asked Mugen.

"Somewhere in this direction," replied Jin as he continued to run. Up ahead, he could still see Inuyaka's figure.

"Who's the old geezer?"

"A very strong opponent and a hired assassin. Be careful of his left swing. It's difficult to block because he's actually left handed," added Jin.

"Noted," said Mugen. They came to a clearing where Inuyaka stopped. Beyond they could see a sheer cliff side but no one else was in sight.

"It appears we may have nothing more to fight about," said the old samurai as he peered over the cliff. "There's no sign of anyone here." Jin noted a hairpin glistening in the moonlight and recognized it as Fuu's.

"You bastard," said Mugen drawing his sword. Inuyaka was unmoving.

"You can take your time and fight me here, or you can go down and look for your friend. I need to regroup with my assistants to assess the situation. She may be still alive, caught in a tree or something. Maybe she made it far enough to clear the rocks and fell into the river by some fluke, if she's lucky. Either way, she'll probably need some help fast, even if it's just to collect her body before the wild beasts get to her." Inuyaka smiled with a grin that was angelic on the surface but devilish underneath. "If you fight me, I'm going to take my time," he volunteered. Both Mugen and Jin knew that Inuyaka was merely toying with them. They were certain that he would enjoy hunting them again.

"Shit," said Mugen, re-sheathing his sword and backtracking to find the fastest way downhill.

"We may yet meet again, since I still need to confirm her death," said Inuyaka calmly to Jin.

"If she's dead, I'll make certain we'll meet again. You'll be my offering to her," said Jin, glaring at his opponent before he followed after Mugen.

* * *

Author's notes:

1. _musume-san _means "girl" or "miss" in a polite way, referring to a young girl. (Though Fuu isn't really all that young in this story, Inuyaka is sort of disrespecting her and categorizing her as a child.)

2. Why would Fuu choose Jin? Well, she's all growed up now, and that means the girl's gots needs…. In the words of another fangirl on one of many Samurai Champloo's fansites (AMALGAM), he IS heartbreakingly beautiful. But he's also a little more…let's say "mature" than Mugen. Sorry Mugen fangirls/guys (if he's your preference, more power to you. Stop reading).

3. "Vagrancy," the title of this chapter is one of my favorite tracks in the Champloo CDs by artist Tsutchie. The title of the story "FLY – Small Circle of Friends" is another favorite track of mine by Tsutchie and rapped by fat jon.

P.s. I realize I love writing fanfiction only after I watch a series, so maybe after I watch the new Slayers series coming out, I'll get a handle on finishing that story (sigh)…

-K (7/28/08)


	4. Ishin Denshin

**Chapter 4: _Ishin Denshin_**

Fuu opened her eyes to see a tattered canvas propped above her. Through the holes she could see patches of blue sky and clouds. She was lying under a makeshift tent with only three sides. Fuu's body ached all over and her mind refused to go back in time to recall how she came to be here. Scanning her surroundings as much as possible without causing any further pain she realized Momo wasn't with her. She let out a groan, but that made her hurt even more. How hurt was she?

"Nothing's broken," said a voice from above. Fuu saw no one. Were the spirits speaking to her? Then, as her vision cleared a little more, she noticed wrinkly, yellow eye peering at her through one of the holes in the fabric. She didn't even have the strength to scream, but before panic surged the face behind the canvas disappeared and reappeared next to her with speed her eyes couldn't follow.

"Now, now," said the old man, gently. His voice was kind. Fuu relaxed a little.

"You had fallen into the river at a great height. Good thing it was deep and you fell feet first, otherwise, you would have become fish food. Isn't that nice?" he laughed. The noise that came from his throat was more of a cackle. His identity as friend or foe again became uncertain. The man was not tall, and his head was nearly bald but for the spray of bright red hair that exploded on the sides. His other features were clearly Japanese, but the hair was a mystery.

"I'm Johnny," he volunteered. Fuu didn't know what to make of that name and so remained silent. "It's polite when someone offers you their name that you give them yours in exchange." He seemed a bit offended.

"I-I'm Fuu," she stuttered.

"Hello, I-I'm Fuu. Are you hungry? I caught some fish in the river," said the weird little man. "You can't have any though," he added as an afterthought. Without another word, he disappeared again.

"Maybe I've died and this is purgatory," she said wistfully as she drifted in and out of consciousness.

Fuu's consciousness streamed like an uncertain pulse. In flashes and clips she recalled how Jin had told her to run as he faced her assassin. In the mental recap, her heart again tightened with the sense of useless urgency. By the campfire, she could hear Mugen do battle with other assailants, cursing all the while and calling them rude names. The scene cut to when she lost sight of Momo, who had been leading her through the dense forest, and came to a clearing. That was where the path ended in a sheer drop down to who knew where. Behind her the samurai were approaching. In muffled recollection she thought they had said her name and even apologized for what they were about to do. One of them came at her, sword drawn and in an arc of steel, aimed to kill her. Fuu couldn't find her voice to scream, then or in her dream, but instantly and instinctively moved backwards only to find there was no more terra firma beneath her foot. In slow motion she saw the blade chop off a lock of hair, come within centimeters of her face, and then the cliff, the samurai and his blade suddenly became smaller and farther away as she fell and continued to fall. Not knowing what was below her, and still stubbornly refusing to die, Fuu pulled her tonto blade from its sheath secured in her obi and plunged the sharp end into the cliff face with both hands. The blade noticeably slowed her fall, though she was still falling fast, and it finally caught onto a cluster of rocks with a loud "clang." At that moment, Fuu lost her grip on her knife with the impact, but just before she started to fall again her other hand reached out to grasp anything, even straws. Her tonto slipped out of place and she watched it fall into the river below. The last thing she remembered was clinging onto some old roots for some time until they eventually gave way and she finally found it in her to scream.

When Fuu awoke again, she was puzzled to find that it was still daytime. The sun was cooler though, suggesting it was morning now, and she felt as though she had been sleeping for days. Suddenly, Momo came hopping into her shelter and perched atop her chest.

"Momo-san," said Fuu wearily. "Are you dead too?" The flying squirrel only looked at her intently with its large, dark eyes, as if trying to convey an understanding that Fuu couldn't grasp.

"I wonder how they guys are doing?" she asked the squirrel. "I hope they're all right." Her hazy thoughts contemplated whether anyone would find her body and hold a funeral service for her. Or would they bury her in an unmarked ditch? Would anyone even miss her? Mugen might make a toast to her memory and then move on and forget her. As an afterthought she concluded, "Jin will miss me if I'm dead."

Outside, she could smell the distinct scent of cooked and seasoned fish. It was enough to convince her to investigate. She sat up, surprisingly with only moderate aches and pains, and leaned over to peer beyond the flap of the three-sided tent. Johnny was still there, fishing along the banks of the river that she supposed he had fished her out of. He was deep in thought, and by the expression that she found almost soulful, Fuu concluded that he was not a lunatic after all and this was not purgatory. She decided to approach him.

Cautiously still, she edged off the straw mat she was laying on, and with the help of the wooden pole she got to her feet. A sudden, woozy feeling came over her, and like a wave hitting her with full force Fuu fell to her knees.

"It isn't wise to get up in your condition. You haven't had any nourishment in four days," said Johnny, unmoving.

"Why can't I have any fish?" she asked sullenly.

"You can have fish now," he said cryptically.

"Huh?"

"You were barely conscious before, but now you're better. So you can have some fish now," he explained.

Fuu sighed and with her eyes measured the distance between the fire pit and her tent to be about four yards. She could barely stand up.

"Don't expect any more help from me. I already fished you out of the river. The rest is up to you," said her savior unsympathetically.

Fuu gave him a menacing look and proceeded to scoot her bottom along the pebbled floor until she could reach the fish. Without further ado she gobbled them up heartily.

"More," said Fuu, licking her fingers as she finished the last one.

"Huh?" asked her companion, turning and giving her a puzzled look. "There were five fish there…three of them were mine…"

"More," repeated Fuu, eyes blazing with hunger.

"Yes, yes," grumbled Johnny, taking more fish out of his basket and skewering them with a stick to prop over the fire. Over the course of the next two hours, Johnny caught and Fuu ate an additional thirty-seven fish from the river.

"Had I known that you liked fish so much I would have left you in there so you could reincarnate as one," complained Johnny, scratching his head in bewilderment. The skinny girl he had retrieved from the waters had become a puffy giant of sorts, rubbing her belly contentedly as she rolled around on the floor like a ball. Even her voice was a few octaves lower. He silently wondered if this was some sort of jutsu.

"Ho-ho-ho," she laughed as rolled around.

"So, my puffy acquaintance, how came you to be in the river?" he asked.

"I was forced," she said.

"Ah," he nodded.

"Two samurai chased me through the forest. When I got to a clearing the only way left to go was over a sheer cliff. I lost my footing and fell. I had a tanto with me…" she said, looking around and finding it missing.

"This?" he asked, retrieving it from his vest.

"Yes, that one!" Fuu exclaimed as he tossed it back to her. "It was my mother's so it has sentimental value."

"And the dice and Christian netsuke?" he asked.

"You know what the skull is?" she exclaimed incredulously.

"I've heard of things such as this."

"It was my father's. I don't know why I still keep it," said Fuu thoughtfully.

"You have a grudge against your father?" asked Johnny, somewhat sadly.

"I did. I told him off for ditching my mom and me for his foreign religion before he was killed. After that, I let it go," said Fuu.

"He was a man who died for his beliefs, then," ventured Johnny.

"And left his family to do it," sighed Fuu, no longer with resentment.

"Such is the way of modern samurai. Traditional duty and honor can be set aside," sighed Johnny. "But then again, are there any lords worth following?" He pondered the rhetorical question for a moment.

"How did you know he was a samurai?" asked Fuu cautiously.

"You don't look like the daughter of a peasant," he answered simply. "Nor do you act or speak like one. Because he didn't take his family with him, his actions suggest a man of leisure as opposed to a working man, who didn't want to involve his family in something dangerous."

"I guess."

"What about the dice?" he asked, truly curious.

Fuu let out a little laugh. She had never told anyone the story behind the dice. "When my mother was still alive and ill, we were desperate for money. So I snuck into the local gambling house to see how money was won. I stole some dice and I learned how to roll them by watching. I also learned how they cheated. So I took some of my mother's expensive hairpins and I had a stall in the street daring people to bet on them. Each bet was worth five ryo, which was cheap in comparison to the hairpins that cost at least fifty ryo each. I was really good at cho-han bakuchi and I made a killing that way until my mother found out and told me to stop. We had to sell the hairpins eventually, but that money didn't last long. Neither did my mother."

"Ah," smiled Johnny. He looked up at the sky and sighed. "Family is a precious thing. People should consider that more seriously." Fuu thought that he was rather sympathetic to her plight.

"I suppose your trip off the cliff had something to do with your father?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Well then, Fuu-san, let me teach you something that may one day save your life."

Fuu remained with the little hermit for the rest of the fortnight. As she headed for Nagasaki he grilled some fish and packed them in leaves "to go" for her. She bowed gratefully and watched him for a moment, stoically fishing in the same spot. Fuu was surprised to note that his expression was that of a learned man of status who had enough of society. She wondered who he was in his day and shrugged off her curiosity.

With Momo perched on her shoulder, she traveled to the nearest tea stand and offered to help the owner for a day in exchange for food. Thereafter, she convinced the owner's daughter to trade kimonos. Fuu, dressed in less conspicuous attire, made it into Nagasaki by late nightfall.

As she rounded the first corner past the front entrance of the city she bumped into someone, suddenly. The two of them fell to the floor. The young man, without apologizing, hurried away. As Fuu brushed herself off, she noticed her pocket was considerably lighter.

"Damnit, not again!" she cried out in frustration, stomping a foot. With typhoon speed, Fuu chased after the guy who stole her coin purse. Since the streets were not crowded at this hour, Fuu easily marked her target as she rushed to catch him. The coin purse contained the rest of her money, including her savings, and she wasn't about to lose it. She called him several unkind names. Little by little, she came closer to him, when finally, as he slowed to turn a corner she full on tackled his legs. They both tumbled and crashed to the ground, sandals flying, in a puff of dust.

"Hey!" said the thief from under her. Fuu had managed to land on top of him, with her knee in his back. She tugged one of his arms towards her, until he cried out "_Ojisan_! _Ojisan_!" slapping an open palm against the ground in surrender.

"Go pinch someone else's purse, jerk. This is my hard earned money," said Fuu, taking her purse from his hand and whacking him over the head with it. She contemplated smacking him again but then she was interrupted.

"Fuu," said a voice from behind her. She turned to see Jin coming towards her. He helped her up.

"Hey! What's the big idea—" said the man on the floor but Jin whacked him unconscious with the butt of his sheath.

"Ah!" she exclaimed in surprise as he then, in one swift motion, wordlessly pulled her closer to him in a tight and surprisingly warm embrace. The color came to her face immediately.

"Um," she said, her face muffled against the sleeves of his doufuku. He released her and for the first time, Fuu thought she saw a smile cross his lips.

"We thought you were dead," he said calmly.

"Nah," she said shyly. "I seem to have more lives than cats."

"Your clothes…" he began, scanning the unfamiliar color and pattern.

"I exchanged them to be a little less conspicuous," said Fuu. She looked around the empty street. "Where's Mugen?" When she asked it, Jin's expression noticeably fell a little.

"We spent four days looking for you, and then decided that if you were still alive, you'd probably head for Nagasaki. We've been waiting and looking out for government spies, but also discreetly asking for your whereabouts. Otherwise we've just been waiting. I lost him a few hours ago when we passed the red light district," he said.

"Oh. How long were you guys going to wait for me?" she asked. He only shrugged.

"Mugen wanted to go hunt down Goroujuu for revenge, but I thought we should wait. Since we didn't find your body, I thought there might be a slim chance…." His voice trailed off, and he looked away. Fuu thought his expression looked something like embarrassment, which was a curious expression for Jin.

"Thanks," she said, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him tightly. "For not giving up on me," she said quietly with her face in his chest. _He smells sweet_, _like green bean paste_, thought Fuu to herself. She inhaled deeply and the effect was dizzying. Almost immediately, she felt embarrassed to be sniffing him.

"Sorry," she apologized, starting to pull away. His arms resisted her and kept her close to him.

"It's okay…like this," was all he said. They stayed like that for a while under the moonlight.

* * *

Author's notes: Please R&R. Comments always welcome!

1. _Ishin Denshin: _truth passed between two hearts, without words—also part of the title to Episode 4 "Hellhounds for Hire." (Thanks to AMALGAM at /angelynx/comics/champloo-episode-guide.html for that translation)

2. I knew I wanted Johnny in this story because I kind of missed the little guy after Episode 21: Elegy of Entrapment. The possibility was iterated in a fan's comments on Wikipedia that Johnny was actually Miyamoto Musashi. As we all know, the Shimabara Rebellion took place in 1638 right before Nippon went all exclusionist by order of the Shogun (until Commodore Perry in 1853). Plausibly, Musashi could be living in the forests as a hermit around that time (to avoid people wanting to duel the "sword saint"). He is reported to have died in 1645. END OF HISTORY LESSON.

3. "_Ojisan_" means "uncle" -- a little joke for those of us who watch anime in Japanese.

4. A _doufuku_ is the top part of Jin's attire, a half robe traditionally worn with _a hakama_ bottom

5. I realized that I have very little of Mugen in this story. (I already warned you, Mugen fans!) But to avoid being pathetically Jin-biased, I'm contemplating writing a chapter that involves our two beloved ronin and the fourteen days that pass without Fuu-chan.

6. _cho-han bakuchi_ is a gambling game of odds and evens. You wondered about the dice and how Fuu learned how to roll 'em in Episode 4: "Hellhounds for Hire," too, didn't you?

-Kero (7/30/08)


	5. Fourteen Days Prior

**Chapter 5: Fourteen Days Prior**

Jin and Mugen stood back to back as fourteen foes encircled them in the clearing by the river's edge. Only the sound of rushing water flowed through the air as the two glared at the fourteen and the fourteen glared back. Mugen and Jin both wondered how it was every time that girl was in the picture, they ended up drawing their swords—a lot. How could one girl possibly be this much trouble? But before they could think of an answer to this old question, a rustling in the bushes interrupted them. One of the samurai hired to hunt Fuu down, Soujirou, came out from the bushes. He was seriously wounded, but alive, and curiously enough missing an arm.

Jin cocked his head to one side. What was Mugen's fascination with taking off people's arms? Or was it that his fighting style just dispatched people recklessly and beyond his control? He concluded that it was probably the latter. Mysteriously enough, no one who had fought Mugen and lost an arm died immediately. The wild pirate's fighting style needed some revision, as it was defective.

"Back for more?" asked Mugen, quite proud of the fact that Soujirou had involuntarily donated an arm to him. "So incredibly pissed that you want to hang me by my balls?"

"No, not really," shrugged Soujirou. "I would be more angry if I didn't have a rich wife and a vested retirement plan with the Shougunate. I know when I'm beat," he shrugged carelessly. "But I had the foresight of hiring these Oniwabanshu to help me, just in case." As he said this, all fourteen ninja, like well-trained puppets, drew a gleaming kunai, each aimed at one of the two ronin in the center of their formation.

"I'll check back in a little while to see in how many pieces they left you," he smiled and walked away.

With that as their cue, the ninja rained sharpened steel at Jin and Mugen. Several slashes left and right by both ronin cleared the air but in such close quarters Jin was cut in the arm and Mugen in the leg. All fourteen men in black then charged with various weapons drawn. Jin and Mugen drew their opponent's blood at the same time, but even as the first of the ninja went down, the other's continued to attack relentlessly.

Mugen's sword was yanked out of his hands by one metal ball and chain so he resorted to blocking and fighting wildly with his feet. He twisted and spun quickly on his hands and shoulders. No blade got passed his steel plated, wooden Geta sandals. His opponents didn't know what to think about his unorthodox style.

Jin's quick and exact strokes were a direct contrast to his undisciplined friend's style. Before they could effectively block, two more ninja went down with a single arc stroke by Jin. He moved like a fish in water.

A few more minutes and all the ninjas were taken care of. Those who could still flee disappeared in the shadows. A total of nine lay dead on the floor.

Jin wiped his blade with the white cloth he always carried with him while Mugen flung the remaining blood and tissue from his sword with a wide swing.

"Now what?" asked Mugen, spitting on the floor and checking with his tongue that all his teeth were still intact.

"We look for Fuu," replied Jin.

"Ah," grunted Mugen in agreement as they began traipsing the downstream riverbank. "I wonder if she'll puff up if she drinks too much water, just like she does when she eats too much?" Jin was only silent.

"What's with you?" asked Mugen, noticing that Jin didn't look like the usual cold fish he was known to be.

"It'll be fine," he continued. "That girl has more lives than cats. With her luck, she'll be saved by some kind passerby and eat him out of house and home, before she meets up with us lively as ever in Nagasaki," said Mugen, hands laced behind his head as he walked. "She just needs to make sure she stays clear of the old guy and his samurai friends."

"Mm," replied Jin, which was his typical unfathomable response.

"Ah, I'm so hungry," sighed Mugen, which was his typical unrelenting complaint.

CUT SCENE: Fast Forward Days 2 – 5

A lot of searching for Fuu continued for four days downstream along the riverbank with intermittent camping and occasional questioning of passersby if they've seen a girl in a pink kimono or a flying squirrel. They asked fourteen people who responded that they had not seen either girl or squirrel. As a way to pass the time, the two would occasionally exchange words in conversation. Jin did happen to tell Mugen about what he had been up to until then.

"I've been working as a bodyguard for various people these past three years. Government insiders, gangsters, and people traveling long distances have an unending need for protection."

"Oh. That's nice," replied Mugen. It did cross his mind that Jin most likely made a lot of money and he could probably foot the bill for their next meal.

CUT SCENE: Fast Forward Days 6 – 13

The dynamic duo then trekked the side roads towards Nagasaki, stopping by the occasional tea stand for dango, all the while still looking for Fuu, watching for spies, ninja or Shogunate samurai but finding themselves awkwardly alone. Mugen had a conversation with Jin about what he had been up to in the past years.

"I've been making a living gambling and training large dung beetles to fight," he said proudly. "I came to Nagasaki to scout the prospects of opening my own gambling hall. My prized pet beetle is named Pinky." Jin had no comment to make.

CUT SCENE: Day 14…finally…

When the pair finally made it to their pre-appointed destination, Mugen yawned and released the cricks in his neck. Nagasaki looked a bit more expansive since the last time he stopped by. He was eager to get something decent to eat and flirt with some real women. Thirteen days of searching for one girl was taking a toll on his patience. He wondered if wild animals had already eaten her, or if they should have been looking for her in a tree.

"Ah man, I'm hungry," he said as he stretched. "I wonder where the _special_ district is."

"You have such a one-tracked mind," commented Jin.

"No," denied Mugen. "Food first, then women. My mind has at least _two_ tracks." Jin gave no response. They continued walking and searching for a place to eat.

"Crab?" suggested Mugen passing by a wooden menu plaque outside one restaurant.

Jin considered it, but shook his head. "Too expensive."

They went on past the next corner.

"Shabu-shabu?" asked Jin as they passed an especially fancy, two storied building with a line going out the door.

"Too crowded," said Mugen.

"Maybe we should just find someplace quick and cheap," suggested Jin. The two ambled on in silence past the next block.

"Do you think we should hunt down this Gouroujuu and kill him?" asked Mugen thoughtfully.

"Wouldn't that provoke the attention of the Shogun even more?" asked Jin. They came to stop at a noodle stand and stayed for a bite to eat. Jin ordered cold somen with eel and egg, while Mugen had hot, spicy yakisoba with meat.

"Oi, Ojisan, gimme some pickled daikon," demanded Mugen.

"Okay," said the chef, sprinkling some chopped daikon over the dish.

"More," suggested Mugen. The chef complied.

"More," said Mugen again.

"Yeah, yeah," said the chef, clearly agitated, but adding an entire pile on top before presenting Mugen with the plate. After finishing the first, he had five more bowls.

"I can take on the Shogun," smiled Mugen wryly. "You can take the old dude."

"Naturally. After you take on the hundreds if not thousands of samurai waiting on him in Edo. Pragmatically speaking, if we take on and kill the samurai hired by Goroujuu, he may give up after that," contemplated Jin.

"Yeah but if we kill Goroujuu, the old guy will stop hunting us since he won't get paid, right?" asked Mugen, slurping down his wheat noodles.

"Until someone else hires him to hunt us. We have to deal with him first," answered Jin, politely sipping his flour noodles.

"Should we just take him together?" asked Mugen before letting out a belch.

"That might be one way," agreed Jin, placing his chopsticks neatly across the rim of the empty bowl.

"That'll be fourteen ryo, two per bowl. _Maido_," grumbled the chef as he handed them their bill. Mugen looked at Jin.

"Do you have any money?" he asked.

"Do you?" asked Jin in return.

"I asked first," insisted Mugen.

"Yes, why?" asked Jin.

"Can you get this one? I want to visit the red light district after this," replied Mugen. Jin couldn't help letting out a sigh of exasperation. Without another word, he paid the bill.

"I owe you one," chimed Mugen.

"Mm," answered Jin.

Jin and Mugen parted ways for the time being in front of the colorful and red lantern street of the notorious district. Mugen was reminded not to kill anyone to avoid detection as Inuyaka and his cohorts were still looking for them. Mugen gave him a peculiar incomprehensible response in assent and disappeared around the corner.

The sun was nearer to the horizon and the stars were peeping out from the misty pale blue sky. Jin looked up and wondered which were the stars that shaped his destiny and that of his friends. Would they be three stars in a row? A sudden pang of worry tightened his chest. Jin wondered if she was all right. It was unusual for her to make such a long, delayed appearance. As he turned onto the main avenue still lost in thought an old hag with a face painted white and dressed all in black suddenly accosted him. Even for his calm and stoutly trained heart it was quite the shock. He raised an eyebrow.

"Fourteen!" she said mysteriously.

"Pardon?" asked Jin puzzled.

"The number fourteen looms about you. It is your auspicious number," she said. Jin assessed that she was a clairvoyant of sorts and therefore did not draw his blade. The old woman continued, "You will have fourteen children! Wait, no, no that's not right." She peered into his face again. "You have fourteen blisters on your feet? No!" Her face contorted to an expression of either extreme concentration or constipation. You are looking for someone. A squirrel? No, a girl."

A crusty finger pointed at him, "You are looking for a girl," she affirmed loudly. A girl to his right and a girl to his left just passing by were suddenly interested in this conversation and declared that they were both fourteen and very available, but the old woman shooed them away.

"If you pay me fourteen ryo, I will tell you more," she suggested.

"If what you tell me turns out to be false, do I get a refund?" he asked. The old woman scowled.

"I am never wrong," she insisted.

"_Obaa-chan_! There you are!" shouted a young girl from behind him. Jin turned to see a girl dressed in a smart kimono with long hair done up in braids run up to the old clairvoyant. "Mama will scold me again if I lose you." The girl looked at Jin.

"Sorry, sir. My grandmother isn't in her right mind. She keeps telling people that she's psychic and can see the future." She bowed apologetically and led the old woman away.

The only word that came to mind was, "Bizarre."

He continued down the avenue deep in thought. The sun had not yet fallen behind the horizon but it set the sky ablaze with hues of pink, orange, red and purple amid the blue. The streets were getting less crowded as the evening approached. This was the end of the fourteenth day of searching for Fuu. Jin wondered if the old woman's words had any power. If history proved true, they would run into her again, whether they were looking for her or not. His heart was enveloped with a sensation that he could only define as hope.

Jin continued walking in search of a place to stay for the night when he paused. A familiar voice was hurling insults at someone in the distance. No, now it was closer. Almost instinctively, he removed his katana from his belt. Jin turned just in time to see Fuu chasing a young man at full speed, telling him to return her purse. The faster the thief ran the faster Fuu chased after him until she finally tackled him to the ground. She grinned triumphantly as she wedged her knee between his shoulder blades.

Fuu was just as wild as her namesake, and perhaps it was her spontaneity that drew him to her. His worry melted and gave way to the happiness of seeing her alive. He called out her name and in a moment he could not control, much to his own surprise, he embraced her.

Jin smiled and shook his head, surrendering to the fate that bound him to this girl. Fourteen was a good number.

* * *

Author's notes: Please read and review! (There aren't a lot of you, are there? LOL that's OK; we don't need numbers when we've got loyalty! Champloo fans rock!)

1. "_Maido_" is a traditional polite utterance meaning "welcome" or "greeting" used in service industries. Obaa-chan means grandmother. Sorry, I watch anime in Japanese so the more common words and phrases have stuck after fourteen years. LOL! Wait, I just aged myself, didn't I?

2. This was a filler chapter. It's part apology to Mugen since I've been snubbing him these past chapters. Besides, you never see Mugen and Jin talking, do you? I've always wondered at what they would talk about when they weren't looking to kill each other. I know the fortuneteller was random, but she's one of my favorite side characters. I mean, she could just pop up anywhere!

-Kero (7/30/08)


	6. Nagasaki Drag

**Chapter 6: Nagasaki Drag**

Fuu was a bit embarrassed as she walked so close to Jin down one of the avenues in Nagsaki. Her red-faced countenance didn't stem from the fact that he was dressed like a woman. In fact, in his dark blue kimono and coral pink obi, he made a very elegant—albeit somewhat tall—woman. Primarily she was still feeing shy about the night before.

Without words they embraced each other until one nearby shopkeeper shooed them away indicating that if they weren't going to buy something, they should get a room. She wondered over and over in her head if they had exchanged a silent understanding, or an affirmation of their mutual affection. Had they in effect declared themselves to one another? With no words, let alone promises, uttered between them Jin acted as he usually did when Mugen showed up smelling of liquor with a giant grin on his face. As they all slept in the same room at the inn, Fuu didn't recall ever falling asleep because her head was still in a whirl.

Fuu couldn't help but feel a little unresolved; especially about that woman he was with when she first ran into him again. She didn't have the courage to ask him what that woman meant to him now, for fear of any clarification leading to the conclusion that she had somehow misunderstood their moment the night before. She continued to be silent and deep in thought as she walked in between him and Mugen.

"Ah," grumbled Mugen, stretching out his arms. "Why do I have to dress like an old lady?"

"We're in disguise, idiot," retorted Fuu. "I thought we explained this to you last night."

"Yeah, but why an old lady?" he insisted.

"Because you make a very ugly woman," responded Jin tersely.

"Exactly," added Fuu, adjusting the cloak they had thrown over Mugen to cover his head. "We're investigating the whereabouts of Inuyaka and his cronies. Our innkeeper indicated that some Shogunate higher up was in town, remember?" said Fuu. "Who else could be in Nagasaki this time of year except maybe the person who's still out to get me?" She adjusted her hair tied in the unfamiliar knot style of a young man. She acquired the look after Mugen had knocked out an unfortunate delivery guy that morning. Though the sleeves were a little long Fuu actually passed as a guy with small effort—much to her dismay. Mugen's attire was the most simple, as he only needed to wear a simple woman's yukata and cover up the rest, including his sword. Jin's was the most complex, as he had used some of Fuu's left over make-up from her prior employment to refine his complexion, and the three had stolen a koto case from one of the inn's performers to hide his weapons.

"Yeah, yeah," groaned Mugen. "Man, I'm hungry."

"So am I," chimed Fuu. All three of their bellies started to growl. "Let's check out that really popular shabu-shabu restaurant in town. I'm sure it'll be full of useful gossip. Maybe we'll get the lowdown on where these Shogunate people are staying," she suggested. The other two agreed heartily, hoping that since she suggested it, she'd foot the bill.

"Name, please," said the door greeter in front of the popular restaurant Suehiro's in a rather gruff manner when they asked for a table for three. He glared at her with his bamboo ink brush, tip about to drip onto an already ink-stained sleeve, waiting to write her name on a folded up piece of paper. Fuu could tell from her own experience in the food industry that he was overworked and underpaid and she silently extended her sympathy.

"Uh, Fu--," she caught herself, "Jin." It was the first male name to pop in mind. Mugen looked a little amused, while Jin's expression became wary of the havoc these two could wreak in his name. Fuu only shrugged as they waited for a table.

ONE HOUR LATER

"Man, I thought we'd never get in," sighed Fuu, settling into her seating cushion by the low wooden table. Their booth was elevated to accommodate the stone and wood mini fire pit over which their pot of boiling water hung.

Mugen cursed. "I was about ready to tear this place down and eat the people, I'm so hungry," was his response.

"Mm," said Jin.

"Hi, I'm Shizuku! I'll be your server today. What can I get you ladies and gentleman?" asked a petite and pretty little waitress in a perky manner.

"Maybe this place isn't so bad after all," smiled Mugen, his interest suddenly piqued. Fuu rolled her eyes.

"I'll have a lunch special, with lean meat and extra tofu," said Fuu.

"I'll have the extra large order of the special with tripe, with a side order of extra meat," said Mugen.

"The same but without the tripe," said Jin.

"Easy, guys," frowned Fuu. "We've barely started traveling so maybe we should budget a little?"

"I can't protect you on an empty stomach," answered Mugen.

"Hm," agreed Jin.

"Geez," sighed Fuu, propping her chin in one hand. Her purse was going to suffer with these two by her side. Why did she even bother taking it back from the thief?

"Coming right up," said the waitress cheerily. Mugen moved to spank her bottom as she walked away but Fuu dug her pair of chopsticks into his hand before he could lift it off the table. Mugen glared at her.

"What?" he asked.

"You're an OLD WOMAN, remember? Postpone your mayhem until AFTER we've eaten," she demanded.

"She's right," agreed Jin. "We've starved too many times in the past because of you."

Before Mugen could retort, a pair of uniformed samurai walked into the restaurant right past them and headed for the second floor. Fuu and the others silently watched them go upstairs.

"Eat first, then investigate," said Fuu, desperately wanting her shabu-shabu at this point. As she said it, the waitress brought their platters, two on each arm and one balanced on her head.

"Let's eat!" declared Mugen, drooling into the bowl in front of him, dropping in a piece of meat into the pot. Jin followed suit.

A pair of waitresses hurried past their table and up the stairs, expressing their desire to not displease members of the Shogunate by offering any kind of inferior service, even if it was a full house below. They were hopeful that he would be a big tipper. Her companions were oblivious to these concerns as they were busy dropping pieces of raw meat and vegetables into the boiling pot. Fuu on the other hand paused a moment to wonder who was upstairs. Was Inuyaka or Gouroujuu here? She started to get a little nervous. Fuu moved to drop some tofu and meat into the pot only to find Jin and Mugen dueling with their chopsticks over the pot. Before either of them could do anything about it Fuu reached in and ate the piece of disputed food. They both looked at her in disbelief.

"What?" asked Fuu, innocently chewing.

After their meal Jin and Mugen volunteered to take a look upstairs while Fuu paid the bill. Just as Fuu was about to count out her coins there was a commotion coming from the staircase. Suddenly, a Tokugawa samurai tumbled down the stairs, arms and legs flailing about him. He was followed by another who was hurled down. Both did not even have time to draw their weapons before they were out for the count.

"Whatever happened to laying low?" grimaced Fuu. She then heard the sound of steel on steel. Panicked, the restaurant patrons were slowly but surely starting to exit, knowing that a brawl was at hand. The poor waitresses were unsuccessfully trying to get them to pay first. Fuu got up and ran to the staircase.

"Well, well," said a low, raspy voice from upstairs. "If you two are here, that means the Kasumi girl isn't far behind." Before she could get a better look, someone placed a hand on her shoulder. To her horror, she turned to see Inuyaka behind her.

"We meet again, _musume-san_," he smiled. "I thought you might still be alive." Without even thinking about it she made a dead run up the staircase knowing he was close behind.

Fuu ran right into Jin's back as she was blindly trying to move away from the assassin. He turned around and noted the extremely frightened look on her face. Jin looked up and met Inuyaka's eyes. So much for being subtle. With Mugen at his back, he knew he didn't have to worry about the Shogunate stooges. Fighting with Inuyaka took all his concentration however, which left the problem of protecting Fuu.

"Stay behind me," he ordered, taking his weapons from the koto case and handing it to Fuu.

"Okay," she said nervously, shielding herself behind the case. Fuu turned toward Mugen's side of the floor and noticed an old man sitting leisurely behind a row of uniformed samurai like a mob boss. She concluded that it was Gouroujuu. All at once the samurai charged him. Fuu turned to see Jin an Inuyaka rush each other, swords drawn and death in their eyes. She stepped back until she was up against one of the walls. Peering outside the nearest window, she noted there was a tarp awning stretched out below her. It looked like a fruit stand. She almost sighed with yearning. A cold watermelon after hot shabu-shabu would have been ideal. That may have been her last meal.

Jin and Inuyaka swung simultaneously, blade pushing against blade at an even draw, and they pushed each other back. Then again, with full force they slashed and swung at one another, too fast for Fuu's eyes to follow but she saw the glints and flashes of steel against the light of the windows in cold and exact blue arcs that reminded her of the colors of a lightning storm.

Mugen's more improvised style of fighting, as usual, took his dojo-trained attackers by surprise. He blocked with wooden benches, the wooden sandals on his feet, all the while tossing cups, plates and dishes at them. Some were hit in the face by flying saucers, others managed to dodge only to have the samurai behind him go down from the flying serving ware. Mugen then started using the support pillars to block the swings of his opponents in such close quarters. Some of the swords nearly cut right through a foot and a half of sturdy cedar. The ceiling of the two-story building started to crack and complain.

One samurai, Keiichi, noticed Fuu standing unguarded and slipped passed Mugen's whirling legs and sandals to attack her. Fuu noticed him just in time and blocked his swing with the koto case and a little shriek. The case was thick enough to hold his katana, though he almost cut it in half and Fuu pushed hard to shove her attacker off balance.

"Damn it," said Keiichi under his breath as he tried to release his blade from its stuck position. When he wrought his blade free, Momo took that opportunity to jump from Fuu's shoulder and onto his face, scratching and biting to distract him. Fuu took that opportunity to kick a boiling pot of water off a nearby table at him. Momo leaped back onto Fuu and the entire pot landed on his head and the water made him scream and fall to the ground.

The commotion caught both Mugen and Jin's attention as they looked behind them to check to see if she was still in one piece.

"Oi, try to stay alive back here," said Mugen before he took another seating bench and used it lengthwise to push his attackers back. Some of them stumbled backwards, nearly falling on top of Gouroujuu.

"Idiots!" he yelled. "It's only an Okinawan monkey! Take him down!" Another samurai, Sei, took that as his initiative to slice the bench in half with his katana, and charge Mugen. Mugen dodged the attack by a fraction of an inch as he moved to the right, and in one motion took the teapot he picked up from a nearby table and smashed it into the samurai's head.

Inuyaka swung at Jin again, who jumped over the arc that tried to cut him down, and used a nearby stool as leverage to get higher. Tucking both his feet in to obtain the maximum air and distance, he made a swing at Inuyaka's head aiming to slice it in half. The other samurai leaned back as far as he could, but Jin's blade nicked his chin and drew blood. Inuyaka paused a moment to apply pressure to the wound.

"They don't teach that in a dojo. Have you been taking lessons from your monkey friend? You seem to be fighting with a spirit you did not show me last time," he mused. "I can only guess its source. I would be most pleased if you continued to fight me, even after she's dead." With that, Inuyaka gave a crooked smile and from his sleeve drew forth a kunai. He aimed it at Jin, but with a small movement of his katana and his head, he managed to dodge. Unpredictably, however, Inuyaka dropped his sword and flung a second kunai from his other sleeve aiming for his intended target a split second later. Before Jin could think, the kunai was whizzing past his ear and heading straight for Fuu.

In that split second between life and death, Fuu watched as the kunai headed straight for her. In that second, Johnny's words came back to her like an epiphany.

"Speed and motion is relative. If you see the blade coming for you, focus and slow it with your mind with extreme concentration. Prove that you are a samurai's daughter. Instinctively you will move aside, because if you do not, you will die. Think of everything that is precious to you in life: dango, green bean paste, European sponge cake, and live to see another day."

At the last moment, she twisted her torso moving a few centimeters to the side, and the blade whizzed through a chunk of her hair, past her neck and sink into the wall on the opposite side of the room. Fuu felt a hot trickle of blood run down her cheek and without thinking, drew her tonto.

"Focus when throwing a blade in an immediate counterattack when your opponent is still open as you may not have the same chance again," echoed Johnny's words in her head as she released it in a circular outward motion. "It's much like throwing a baseball, and if you actually do damage with it, come back and see me and I will treat you to lunch."

If she lived through today, she was going to hold him to that.

Much surprised, Jin watched her pink handled tonto fly past his face and into Inuyaka's left arm with a small "thwup." Her attacker was much more astonished than either of them.

Before she had time to congratulate herself, the fallen Keiichi, now up again, charged Fuu head first. He had been blinded by the boiling water and his face was a mess, and therefore, Fuu assessed, he was really mad at her. She had no time to move as he winded her in the gut and both of them went tumbling out the window.

They fell onto the tarp below but their weight almost immediately tore a hole into it. To the horror of the fruit stand owner Fuu and her attacker landed in a soggy mess of melon and straw, breaking his cart. People screamed to move away. Her assailant was unfortunate enough to be impaled by a shard of wood from the landing. He would not be getting up ever again. Fuu rolled away upon impact onto the avenue and coughed out the dust and debris in her mouth. She looked up and saw the sign of the store opposite the restaurant. "Fireworks Wholesale."

Without even thinking she rushed into the store. An old man smoking a long pipe eyed her curiously.

"Mister, I'm going to take these," said Fuu hastily grabbing a very large set of

_wari-mono_ balls with extended fuses in a sack and a keg of powder. She grabbed the pipe from his lips and disappeared back into the restaurant. "You shouldn't be smoking in there anyway!" she called out over her shoulder.

Ignoring the blood dripping from her leg, Fuu ran upstairs again, screaming at the owner and the waitresses to clear the building. When they saw what she was holding in her arms, they immediately complied.

She lit the fuses as she neared the top and just as she had a clear view of Gouroujuu, she set the keg aside hurled the balls at him. One went awry and bounced off the head of a samurai, while the other fell into the intended target's lap as its fuse had just run out. Gouroujuu just stared at it dumbly before uttering a single word. "Shit."

"Run!" was the last thing they heard Fuu screaming to her counterparts as the fireworks exploded in scatter of garishly glaring pops. The fire licked the barrel of gunpowder and when it ignited, the whole second story was washed in a wave of smoke and flame. With the weakened state of its pillars the entire restaurant came tumbling down with a great groan.

* * *

Author's notes: Please read and review!

1. I think Jin (and Mugen's) coolness factor come out better in fight scenes and non-slapstick humor. Fuu does a lot of falling in this story, doesn't she?

2. "Wari-mono" fireworks are the type that explode into huge chrysanthemum-like shapes. They have three layers of fireworks pellets and are packed with explosive powder for the biggest boom. They have long fuses because they are supposed to be launched high into the air for the best effect.

3. I always knew that Johnny would teach something to Fuu to help her survive. I imagine Musashi would have been that type of person.

-Kero (8/1/08)


	7. Samurai Wrap

**Chapter 7: Samurai Wrap**

The restaurant proprietor stared gloomily at what was left of his shabu-shabu restaurant. Some of the servants and cooks were pulling out bodies from the wreckage and checking for signs of life. Several samurai were rolled up in straw mats and labeled as "Samurai 1 – 19" on separate tags tied to their big toe by the local mortician who recorded the body count. The fruit stand owner, slightly singed from the explosion, was trying to point out that there was a dead man in his cart as well and was at a loss as to how to go about removing him. As people in the street came to witness the destruction of rubble and ash, they wondered if one of the fireworks displays had rolled into the restaurant by accident. The locals were aware the fireworks maker smoked like a chimney. As passers by sent him their looks of condolence his waitresses stood faithfully by him.

"There isn't much left, is there?" asked one of them.

Shizuku put a hand on her boss' shoulder. "It's a good thing you bought that fire insurance," she laughed. "And everyone thought it was a waste of money."

"What are you going to do after you cash in, boss?" asked the other waitress.

"I don't know; the restaurant business seems kind of dangerous, doesn't it?" he sighed.

"I hear Osaka's a nice place to live," suggested Shizuku.

As they continued to gather their bearings, the local law enforcement came to assess the situation. It appeared as though no one who was left inside before the explosion remained alive. A passing Shinto priest volunteered a prayer to the dead. Somewhere in the distance, a Bhuddist bell tolled.

SO ENDS THE STORY OF OUR VALIANT TRIO.

HEH, JUST KIDDING.

The people in the avenue below did not heed the random scattering of people on the rooftop who were hurled by the explosion across the way from what used to be the restaurant. Jin, Fuu and Mugen lay on their backs panting atop the blue roof tiles staring at the sun through the smoke still venting from the rubble below. When the wari-mono casings exploded indoors they almost immediately set the entire second floor on fire and forced Jin and Mugen to grab Fuu and jump out the window, across the avenue, and onto the opposite roof. As they jumped the force of the keg exploding thereafter propelled them and caused all three to make hard, clumsy landings. Fortunately for Fuu, Jin had pulled her close to him and he took the brunt of the impact and she merely landed on top of him.

"You got bigger balls than me, kiddo. What IS it with you and giant firecrackers?" asked Mugen, still out of breath as he absently patted down a portion of his hair that was still smoking.

"Your recklessness far exceeds anyone I know," said Jin with a smile.

"We were in a pinch," said Fuu in defense of her actions. She raised a hand to her forehead and smiled. Fuu was never really a great gambler. In fact, she often lost money more than she won it. But for some reason, whenever she gambled their lives, she always won.

From the other slanting side of the roof they heard someone stirring. Fuu rolled on her elbows and propped herself up to see Inuyaka also lying on his back. His hair and clothes were singed and the odd position of one of his legs suggested he had broken it in the fall. A portion of his face looked burned.

"Kasumi Fuu," he said after catching his breath. "It seems I underestimated you. Not only do you have two faithful and powerful ronin friends at your side but you're clever as well." Mugen found the strength to raise his arm and give Inuyaka the finger. After a moment Inuyaka added, "My employer is dead and I have no quarrel with you." He pulled her pink tonto from his belt and tossed it back towards her. It landed in front of her with a clatter against the tiles.

"It seems that someone taught you that impressive trick you performed for us back there. May I inquire as to whom your teacher was?" he asked.

"An old hermit in the forest named Johnny," answered Fuu. Jin looked up at her incredulously.

"He owes me lunch," she added.

"Ah, 'Johnny' was it?" he smiled. "I'm honored to have been wounded by you, then. You and I will not cross paths again. No matter what the asking price."

Fuu wiped the blood off her tonto and re-sheathed it. She sat up on the roof and looked down below at the destruction she caused. Luckily the collapse of the top floor extinguished most of the blaze and the fire did not spread to the neighboring shops. Fuu was glad for that.

"The local authorities are here, guys," said Fuu looking over at her exhausted companions. "Maybe we should get going."

"Ah," grunted Mugen in agreement, getting up. Jin also got to his feet. He offered Fuu his hand and she took it with a smile. They walked across the roof onto a lower rooftop where someone had left a ladder leading down to an alley. Just as Mugen reached the street level someone called out his name.

"Geez, I should've known you were involved in this mayhem," said Imanho Yatsuha with a troubled expression, scratching the back of her head in frustration. She looked around to make sure the other government officers were nowhere in sight.

"Are you going to turn us in?" asked Fuu timidly.

"Hmph. What for?" said the detective. "As far as I'm concerned this was a fireworks accident and by some stroke of luck the corrupt Councilor I was investigating conveniently died in the fire while he was eating shabu-shabu. These types of restaurants are fire hazards apparently."

"Corrupt?" asked Jin.

"Yeah. He's been out of favor with the Shogun for quite some time and was using the government's resources for his own personal projects," she said with a knowing eye towards Fuu. "They've just been looking for an excuse to axe him."

"So there won't be anyone hunting me anymore?"

"Not that I know of. As far as my report goes, you and your two sidekicks died in the fire as well," smiled the detective.

"It wouldn't be the first time I died," smirked Mugen. At that moment, Yatsuha grabbed his ear and yanked it to one side.

"Ow, ow, ow!" exclaimed Mugen. "Let go, woman!"

"I'm off duty. I'll buy you a drink for staying alive," she said happily. "We can pick up where we left off last time," she said as she leaned into him and whispered in his ear. A slow grin spread across his lips but it immediately disappeared when she yanked his ear again. "Just try to keep your hands off other women when you're with me," she warned. With that, the two turned to leave.

"Mugen," Fuu called after him. "Thank you." Yatsuha let go of his ear and he turned to face his friends.

"Yeah," he grinned. "Let's do this again sometime. The workouts are fun." He turned to Jin. "Look after her, four-eyes. Make sure our little pyro stays out of trouble and away from the fireworks."

"Ah," answered Jin affirmatively. They watched him walk away until he was out of sight. He turned to Fuu.

"What are you going to do from here?" he asked. She bit her lip and stared at her feet to try to hide the blush in her cheeks. For a moment Fuu recalled the conversation they had three years ago by the river when he asked her the same thing. Her heart was beating quickly. It was time she made up her mind.

"I need to find another job," she said, staring up at the sky for some sign of inspiration. "But if it's okay with you, can I just tag along?" Fuu asked timidly, not meeting his gaze. He lifted her chin with a gentle hand and to her surprise, kissed her.

"Yes," he answered.

_FINIS._

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Author's notes: Please read and review!

1. **Suehiro's** officially opened in Osaka, Japan in 1955, the first restaurant to coin the phrase "shabu-shabu" which is why I destroyed the restaurant in Nagasaki…. For those who hail from L.A. or those looking to visit, there is this kick-ass shabu-shabu restaurant (Shabu-Shabu House) in Little Tokyo (Japanese Village Plaza) that makes you wait an hour until you're seated after they take down your name (but we wait nonetheless) because it's always so packed. Sure, they butcher the pronunciation but that's damn good shabu-shabu (excellent with an ice coffee). Ah, I'm hungry….

2. Technically, the finger gesture is derived from ancient Roman times, and therefore it is possible that it could have carried over to the Silk Road. Hehehe…

3. Another story has come to an end. Or has it? Hehehe...I've always wanted to write this story after my Champloo short, but never found the time or inspiration. Thanks to the faithful who took time to read or review it, to praise it or flame it. It was equally appreciated. (But for those who flamed it, you should've stopped reading a long time ago!) I just love Jin, so I hope you weren't bored with my lovey-dovey scene. I hope you Champloo fans enjoyed the adventure. And that's a wrap. Until next time!

-Kero (8/3/08)


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